Autoamtic stop gauge for winding machines



Oct. 30, 1951 c. w. GUION 2,572,854

AUTOMATIC STOP GAUGE FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed Feb. 2, 1949 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 30, 1951 AUTOMATIC STOP GAUGE FOR WINDING MACHINES CharlesW. Guion, Arlington, Va.

Application February 2, 1949, Serial No. 74,167

Claims. (01. 24239) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amendedApril 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein, ifpatented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government forgovernmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to automatic stop motions for winding machinesand has for its primary object to generally improve devices of thistype.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to providean electrically-operated stop gauge mechanism which will serve to stopthe winding of a spool or cop when the desired amount of thread has beenwound thereon.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of such astop mechanism which may be readily adjusted to vary the stopping of thespool or cop in accordance with a predetermined amount of thread that itis desired to wind.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a series organg of stop mechanisms all of which may be simultaneously adjusted at asingle operation.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of anelectrically-operated stop mechanism which may be readily installed onwinding machines of the type shown in J. O. McKean Patent No. 1,958,060,in which the spools are automatically stopped if the thread breaks orbecomes exhausted.

Another object of the invention consists in providing anelectrically-operated stop mechanism in which the electric circuit isautomatically opened immediately after the stop mechanism has beenactivated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view ofthe winding machine of Patent No. 1,958,060, showing the improved stopmechanism installed thereon. v

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view, partly broken away, of abattery or gang of micro-switches and showing the structure by whichthey may be simultaneously adjusted to determine the size of thepackages to be wound, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the machine withparts omitted for the sake of clearness.

The automatic electric stop gauge forming the subject matter of thepresent invention is primarily intended for installation on windingmachines of the type shown in the McKean patent referred to above, andinasmuch as this mechanism is clearly shown in that patent and is awell-knowncommercial item, it is deemed necessary to show in the presentillustration only such features of the winding machine as cooperatedirectly with the attachment. This stop mechanism for gauging the sizeof the wound cones may with slight modifications in structural detailsbe employed on other types of winding mechanisms.

The numeral I indicates the upper portion of the frame of the mechanism,while the numeral 2 represents a series of cones to be simultaneouslywound, and the numeral 3' indicates winding rolls operated by motivepower from any suitable source and adapted to engage and rotate thecones 2. In the winding machine of the present illustration, the conesor spools are mounted on spool holders which are carried by pivoted arms4, and which arms are controlled by the mechanism indicated generally bythe numeral 5 to raise the spools or cones 2 from the winding rolls 3,when the thread breaks or is exhausted.

The particular mechanism for causing a discontinuance of the windingoperation when the thread breaks or is exhausted comprises a detectorwire 6, which is pivoted to the frame work of the machine, as indicatedby numeral 1, and is normally held in the position shown in Figure 1 bythe thread 8, which is being wound from the bobbin 9, onto the spool orcone 2. Associated with the pivot 1 is a tripping roller l0, adapted tocooperate with a kicker cam II, when the detector wire 6 is allowed tomove upwardly about its pivot 1, by reason of the breaking or exhaustingof the thread 8. This movement of the kicker cam will throw the rollerl0 out of the path of the cam, and thereby operate the mechanismindicated generally by the numeral 5, to permit a spring l2 to raise thespool 2 out of contact with the winding roll 3, thereby discontinuingthe winding operation. This mechanism is all shown and described in theMcKean patent, as previously referred to. i

The attachment of the present invention comprises a series of electricalswitches 20, which are mounted on arms 2|, which are in turn fixed to anoscillatable shaft 22, supported in hangers 23, secured to the undersurface of the frame I. This shaft 22 is preferably provided with screwthreads at each. end for cooperation with wing nuts 24, by means ofwhich the McKean patent is operated whenthe detee-t'or: wire is allowedto rise by reason of the breaking or exhaustion of the thread 8, and thepresent improvement resides in providing additional means for raisingthe detector wire 6, when the spools are filled regardless of Whetherthe thread 8 is broken or exhausted. This mechanism comprises a solenoid25 so positioned that its plung= er 26, when retracted will be inengagementwith the underside of the detector wire 6, when the latter is.held in its loweredi position by the'threa'd 8" being Wound upon thespools. Whenione: of the circuits in which the respective'solenoi'd's 25and switches 26 are-mounted is closed, the; plunger 26 will raisethe-particular detectonwire 6', thereby setting in operation the:mechanism heretofore described-by means of which-the 'lever i is causedto rise so as to disengage the particular s'pool 2 from. itsroller 3,thereby discontinuing the ro tation of the particular spool;

The switches 20 are so disposed with relation to the oscillat'able shaft2 2 as to form an angle of about 26 with the'vertical in thepresentillustration, and this angle will beinc'reased as the arms 21 andthe switches Ell are adjusted sa es to stop the mechanism in theformation of larger packages. A particular advantage ofthisco'nstructionis that the switches 20 are allowed to open just' assoon as the mechanism 5' has been set in operationto lift-thespools- 2Ethereby p'reventingheating'of the coils.

By means ofthe construction described herein, it will be apparent -to-th'ose skilled inthe art that the stopmechanismmay be: readily adjustedto vary the size of a spool being woundi stop mechanismmaybe--simultaneouslyadjusted for allof the spools by a'suitableadiustment-"of the shaft 22; and that-the switches are-mountedso -as-to-be automaticallyppened whentlie wind% ing operationi'sdiscontinued and thereby prevent heating of the'solenoid coils;

In accordance with the patent statute's; Ihave described herein what Inow' considen'to betlie preferred form-of the invention suitable'for in'stallation upon the'McKean winding machine; but it is'to beunderstood'thatthe mechanism may be modified as to variousdetailsforinstalla tion on other types of'winding machineswithout in anyway departingfroin'thespirit' ofthe'in' vention, and it is intended thatall such varia-- tions be included withinthe' scopeof th'eap'pend= edclaims.

I claim: H

1. In a winding ma'chiheincluding a plurality of'spool holdersand'm'eans for'rotatinga'spo'ol mounted thereon; electric circuits'including"elec= trically-operated means for causingjthediscon tinuanceof the winding operations, a shaft mounted for adjustment about itsaxis, electric switches in said circuits; said-switchesbeing fixed tothe-shaft and disposed adjacent? the spool holders;

2. ma winding machine in'cluding arwin'ding roll; a spool holder forcooperationtherewithyand means for moving one of said elements bodilyatthe 4 a with respect to the other, aiid "afdetectdi w with respect tothe other, a detector wire for controlling said movement,electrically-operated means for moving the detector wire, said lastnamedmeans including an electric switch disposed adjacent the movableelement.

3. In a winding machine includin'g'a winding roll, a. spool holder, andmeans for moving the spool holder toward and from the winding roll, a:detector wire for controlling the movements of the spool holder, asolenoid for operating the detector wire, an electric circuit for thesolenoid, and an electric switch in said circuit mounte adjacentthespool holder.

4. In a winding machine including a winding roll, a spool holder forcooperation therewith, and means" for moving one of said elements bodilywith respect to the other, a detector wire for controlling saidmovement, electrically-operated means for moving the detector wire, saidlastnamed means including an electric switch disposed adjacent the spoolholder, and means" for adjusting the switch'towa'rd and from. the spoolholder.

5". In a winding. machine including a series of winding rolls, a seriesof spool holders for cooperation therewith, and means for movingthespool holders toward and from the Winding-rolls, detector Wires forcontrolling the moveriient-of the sp'o'ol holders, electrically-operatedmeans for moving the detector wires, said last-named means includingelectric sw'itch'es disposed adj ac'ent the spool holders-,and means-forsimultaneously ad justing all'of saidswitches toward-and from saidspool-holders; 9 p

6. In a windingmachine in'cludinga series-0 f winding rolls; a series ofspoolholders for coop eration therewith, and means for" moving the spoolholders toward aridfroin the" winding runs; detector wires forcontrolling the movement 'of thespool holders, 'electrically-operate'dnieajns for moving the detectonwires;said last naznedmeans including arotatable shaft,- a plufiality'of electric switches fixed to said shaft'anif dis'pdsed adjacent-the respective 'spool"holders, anwmean forsecuring s'a'id sha'ffii'n various adjusted" po'si"- ti'on'sf V 7. In awinding machine" including" a win in roll, a 'spool holder for"cooperation there th, means for moving one of said' elementsb ocontrolling the movements of"the"'spool 1101 accordance with'tlietension on a threadpas'sifig thereove'r, a 'solenoid for movingsaid wirei an electric" circuit for the solenoid? n os'cil'laitab l armmounted adjacentthe spool Homer: anelc tric switch in said circuit' andmounted orf'said arm, and means forsecuring "the arm various adjustedpositions: 4

8. In a winding" machine." inclu'din'gfla" spool hol'der;aiwindihgroll"forcooperation therewith, m'e'ansffor liftirfgithspbolfholder, anda detector wire for controlling'the"lifting of thespool 'holiri er, electrically-operated means for moving the detectorwire, said" last-named me ns including an electric springswitchdisposed" adjacent the spooifholder and arrangedat"an"angleto"thevertical," whereby the circuitis closedwhen'tlfe spoolis wound" to' a predetermined siie"andf is automatically opened when thespool is lifted;

9: In a winding. machi e -inducin afw'inding r011, spool holder" forcooperation; therewith, means for lifting the spool holdeifbo'fdilywit"re spect tof'thefwindingfroll; a'n'd' ad'etectb i"wcontrolling"theinovniefit of the" super accordancewith"thdtensionon"a"tl'iiadpassin*' over the detector wire, separate means foroperating the detector wire, said last-named means including controlmeans disposed'adjacent the spool holder for activating the separatemeans when the wound thread reaches a predetermined diameter.

10. In a winding machine including a winding roll, a spool holder forcooperation therewith, means for lifting the spool holder bodily withrespect to the winding roll, and a detector wire for controlling themovement of the spool holder in accordance with the tension on a threadpassing over the detector wire, separate means for operating thedetector wire, said last-named means including control means disposedadjacent the spool holder for activating the separate means when thewound thread reaches a predetermined diameter, said control means beinginclined downwardly toward the spool holder, whereby when the spoolholder is lifted the control means is rendered inoperative.

CHARLES W. GUION.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date

1,078,861 Koch Nov. 18, 1913 1,642,681 Kaplan Sept. 20, 1927 1,958,060McKean May 8, 1934 1,994,403 Reiners et al Mar. 12, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 85,831 Austria Oct. 10, 1921

